I just learned that the application process can cost a lot of money.  Is there financial aid available for this?

The AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP) provides applicants to medical schools with an application for fee assistance for both MCAT® registration and the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS®) application. The FAP assists those whose family incomes are 300 percent or less of the federal poverty level; in other words, those whose inability to afford the full MCAT registration fee or the AMCAS application fee would prevent them from applying to medical school. The FAP application asks for personal and parental financial data. Once an applicant is granted provisional approval, the FAP requires documentation, such as W-2 forms, tax returns, etc. The FAP provides:

• a reduced MCAT registration fee of $85
• a waiver of AMCAS application fees for up to 13 medicals schools (beyond 13 schools, the applicant pays $30 per school)

FAP decisions must be made before you submit your MCAT registration or AMCAS application. The Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR™) and the FAP Web site both contain FAP deadlines that coordinate with scheduled MCAT administrations and AMCAS applications.

The FAP is also described in MSAR. Published by the AAMC, this book is the most authoritative guide for applying to medical school. This accurate, thorough, and reliable resource is the only complete guide to U.S. and Canadian medical schools fully authorized by the schools themselves.  In it you will find information on application procedures and deadlines, selection factors (including MCAT scores and grade-point averages), medical school class profiles, education costs and financial aid packages, and much more.